BREAKING: Iran strikes

While Hollywood frets over Donald Trump’s tweets and the media short circuits over Russia’s election “hacks,” our “friends” in Iran (with whom we signed that awesome nuke deal and sent piles of cash) are once again making ominous overtures against the U.S. on the high seas.

Fox News reports, In the latest incident of high-seas tension between the U.S. and Iran, a Navy destroyer fired a series of warning shots at four Iranian vessels on Sunday after the Islamic Republic’s boats closed in at a high rate of speed in the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News confirmed.

The USS Mahan tried to order the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard boats to stop via radio communication, but the vessels didn’t respond to the request, prompting the destroyer to fire three warning flares, a U.S. defense official said.

In addition, a Navy helicopter dropped a smoke float.

The Iranian boats sailed within 900 yards of the Mahan, which had been escorting two U.S. ships.

Sunday’s incident was only the most recent Iranian provocation of U.S. ships or aircraft in the region. Among the notable incidents:

– In late November, an Iranian small boat in the Strait of Hormuz trained a machine gun on a U.S. Navy helicopter.

– U.S. warships have been targeted by rebels in Yemen who are being supplied and supported by Iran.

– In September, Iran threatened to shoot down Navy aircraft it said was encroaching on its airspace.

In early September, seven Iranian boats harassed a U.S. Navy ship in the Persian Gulf.

And of course, we cannot forget seeing our Sailors on their knees at gunpoint after being captured by the Iranians — almost exactly a year ago.

At least this time our boys fired back. But as Col. West has noted here, There are currently no U.S. aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Norfolk and the USS George H. W. Bush had its deployment delayed.

Is it any wonder our enemies feel emboldened? Let’s hope incoming President Donald Trump will hurry up and fill that vacuum, because you can bet as long as we do nothing, Iran will continue to provoke.

Lieutenant Colonel West served 22 years in the United States Army and was elected to serve in the United States Congress in 2010. Allen is a Fox News Contributor and author of Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom.